Film Study: Improved Execution Up Front Against UCLA, Especially in the Run Game

Last week's look at the offensive line problems that manifested on a cold, gray Saturday in West Lafayette prompted 176 comments from you fine folks - the most for a non-loss, CFP, or rivalry game in years. It's heartwarming to see interior offensive line play drawing such passionate discussion.

This week, however, I expect a tad less, as the run game was much more efficient and effective in Ohio State's dominant 48-10 victory over UCLA. While the game felt less like a November Big Ten game and more like a mid-September MAC tune-up, thanks to both the weather and a depleted UCLA roster, there were still a few things worth examining.

With Carnell Tate in street clothes and Jeremiah Smith spending much of the final 3 quarters on the sideline, the Buckeye offense saw more aggressive man-coverage looks than they've seen in years. While Julian Sayin was still effective, he certainly wasn't as efficient as he had been in the weeks prior, and the extra pressure brought by the Bruins certainly played a part.

Here's what we go over in this week's video breakdown:

• RPOs helped open up the OSU run game by spreading the defense
• Better execution on combination blocks in the zone running game
• UCLA got aggressive in pass defense with Smith and Tate on the sideline
• Caleb Downs: Superstar

Click the header photo above to watch the video, or head straight to YouTube.